An active cellular device, such as a telephone, a beeper and the like, sends a beacon signal on a periodic basis. Local cellular providers that receive the beacon signal can determine the cell location of the active device. Generally, the cellular provider that receives the signal with the greatest signal strength of power becomes the provider of the cellular service to the active device. The cellular provider sends the address of the active cell device to a central database. When a call is placed to the active device, the central database is accessed to find the most recent cell location of the active device. A wireless telephone connection is then made to the active device via the local service provider for that cell, provided the active device has not moved or stopped sending beacon signals. Because active cellular devices are locatable, they are capable of receiving and displaying data messages of various content, such as weather, news, sports scores, business data, and the like.
There is a class of passive device, such as a pen, a watch, a picture frame, a non-cellular telephone, a wallet and the like, that is incapable of being locatable because they lack a transmitter for sending a beacon or other signal by which they could be located. Accordingly, passive devices are not currently used for the communication of data messages.
There exists a need to provide a data service of data messages to a passive device, for example a watch, of a subscriber.